DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

"Why are they taking so long?" Nino muttered irritably.

"Maybe he stopped to chat with Miku?" Ichika suggested.

"You don't think he got lost and is still looking for her, do you?"

Ichika and Nino glanced at Itsuki, as though the idea wasn't entirely out of the question.

The three sisters stood a safe distance from the apartment complex, waiting for Desmon and Miku to emerge. It was obvious the building was going to collapse; staying too close would have been foolish.

"I don't know the guy, but I feel like that could've happened.'' Nino grumbled.

As long as Miku came out unharmed, Nino had no problem with Desmon getting buried in the rubble. After all, she didn't know him well enough to care, and her vague memory of Desmon giving her a rough time didn't exactly help his case.

"First impressions mean a lot, and he knows how to make one.'' Ichika remarked.

As an actress, Ichika had met plenty of young men, but Desmon gave off a completely different impression—especially since the demon hunter seemed to have no problem strutting around half-naked in public.

"By the way, why is he here?" Itsuki's question made the other two sisters pause.

"He said something like, 'I'm your reliable and friendly demon hunter'..." Ichika hardly believed the words she'd just uttered.

As expected, Desmon was very straightforward when introducing himself.

"I'm starting to regret sending that guy to look for Miku..." Nino muttered, looking back at the apartment complex.

"He said it was his job, but he didn't exactly explain what he came here to do. Also, I can't clearly remember how we even got here…"

Unlike Miku, who managed to recall everything, her three sisters only have fleeting memories of what happened.

"I'm tired of waiting. Let's go find Miku."

Nino isn't the most patient girl, and trusting her sister to a stranger is out of the question.

"Nino, it's dangerous. The building looks like it's about to collapse." Ichika, the eldest, stopped her sister from doing something reckless.

"Exactly why we should look for her ourselves. That idiot won't be able to..."

Nino's words were cut off by a massive explosion that destroyed the apartment complex, engulfing it in flames.

The girls shielded themselves from the shockwave with their arms, screaming in surprise.

As their vision returned, they could only stare at the burning rubble—the sole remnants of their old home.

"Miku…"

Their expressions froze as they contemplated the outcome. They were about to run toward the site...

…but at that moment, a figure shot into the sky from the wreckage.

Against the backdrop of the sunset, with the horizon glowing in gold and crimson, a figure rose, cradling someone in their arms.

"I don't get paid enough for this…"

Wearing a tired smile, Desmon muttered to himself.

"How are you planning to land?" Miku asked sincerely, marveling at the breathtaking sunset.

"With my legs?"

Answering casually, Desmon's body finally gave in, and they began descending rapidly toward where Miku's sisters stood.

"Baka" She remarked calmly.

"You're surprisingly composed."

"This isn't worse than being burned alive."

"Fair point."

The brief exchange ended as they neared the ground.

-This is going to be rough on my legs…

True to his word, Desmon landed on his feet.

With a resounding thud, he performed a near-perfect landing, using his legs to absorb the impact—something that would shatter the bones of an ordinary human and probably drive them straight through the skin.

But Desmon pulled it off flawlessly, still holding Miku securely in his arms.

"How many points would you give me for that landing? I'd say a perfect ten."

"An eight. Better luck next time."

"Harsh critics… What about you all? How'd I do?" Desmon turned to the rest of the Nakano sisters.

Their fear and worry over Miku had morphed into confusion, seeing her casually interacting with the white-haired, half-naked guy holding her.

"Miku… Is that really you?" Nino asked, still startled.

"Don't worry. Everything's fine." She nodded reassuringly.

"Hey, you bastard! What did you do to my sister? She's acting nothing like herself!"

After what had happened, some change in Miku's attitude was to be expected.

"Nino, it's me. I've just… decided to let go of a silly delusion." She tightened her grip on the necklace in her hand.

-Thank you, Kiyohime…

She silently appreciated the gift the demon had given her—a gift that had saved both her and Desmon from that massive explosion.

When the blast had erupted, enveloping them in flames, the necklace had emitted a brilliant glow, forming a barrier that shielded Miku from the fire. Desmon, being close by, was also spared, though the artifact might have audibly complained if it could.

Protected from the flames, Desmon didn't hesitate. He leaped through the debris, using the wreckage to propel them skyward, ultimately escaping the fiery demise unscathed.

"It's good to see you safe, Miku." Ichika breathed a sigh of relief.

"You really scared me-" Itsuki added, visibly relieved.

"Uh, hello? I'm here too! I did all the work, you know. Don't I deserve a little credit for saving everyone?"

"You! How much longer are you going to hold Miku? Let her go already!" Nino snapped at him.

"Eh… I don't want to. She's soft and comfy."

Desmon's hands rested on Miku's lower back and thighs—a position that was far too comfortable for him to willingly let go.

"Y-you didn't have to say that out loud!" Miku scolded, her cheeks burning as she realized their situation—made even more awkward by the fact that Desmon was shirtless, with her pressed against his bare skin.

"What's the problem? You're soft to the touch. It's like holding a marshmallow in my arms."

Miku's face turned bright red, flustered by his shameless comment.

But her embarrassment quickly shifted into another emotion as the demon hunter continued speaking.

"Though it'd be better to put you down already, you're really heavy..."

There was no way a girl wouldn't get mad when her weight was brought up.

"Baka"

Miku pressed the collar against Desmon's cheek, making him feel an intense heat radiating from the spot.

"That burns! Alright, alright, I'll put you down, just get that thing away from me..."

Grudgingly, Desmon carefully lowered Miku, who, after everything that had happened, was finally reunited with her sisters.

Watching the four of them happily chatting together, Desmon smiled.

He had completed his job successfully. Sure, the huge explosion hadn't been part of the plan, but those were minor details.

"The sister package is complete... Unless you tell me there's a sixth sister hiding somewhere, in which case, I'm not taking responsibility." He said, scratching the back of his head.

The girls glanced at the exhibitionist who still hadn't bothered to cover himself, but ignored him and focused on asking Miku what had happened.

Guess I'm not very popular with girls...

As he lamented his fate and considered asking Uesugi for tips on winning over girls, the sirens of the authorities started closing in, drawn by the massive explosion.

An ambulance from the Nakano sisters' father's hospital arrived as well, with Mr. Nakano stepping out of the vehicle.

"I'm glad you're safe..."

The first thing Mr. Nakano did was hug his daughters tightly.

"What's going on? You don't seem like yourself.'' Nino remarked, never expecting her father to wear such an expression.

The other sisters were just as surprised by his attitude, but each of them quietly admitted that seeing this side of him wasn't so bad.

Meanwhile, firefighters worked to extinguish the flames and control the situation, while the police approached the sisters to ask a few questions.

"Desmon-kun, thank you for your help." Mr. Nakano handed Desmon his jacket to cover himself; being half-naked in the streets was a crime in any country.

"Don't mention it. I was just doing my job. By the way, there'll be plenty to explain, and that's going to be a headache, so let's leave it for another day. I'm sure they need some rest as well."

Today had already been exhausting enough without repeating everything to the sisters who might not fully grasp what had happened.

"Huh...?"

As Miku chatted with her sisters, she suddenly felt her legs give out for a moment, but her sisters caught her. Hospital staff quickly helped Miku and the other sisters into the ambulance.

"You're right..." Mr. Nakano sighed. "Even so, I might still need your help. I'm not sure I'll be able to explain this properly."

"You've got my number. If you need anything, just call me."

-I lost the money for that collar, but now the real profit begins...

Desmon hadn't done this job for free; there was a reward waiting. Of course, that money was intended for Lady, but before transferring it to her account, Desmon planned to borrow a little to indulge in sweets for a month.

"Thanks, I'll be in touch." With that, Mr. Nakano turned and headed to the ambulance to join his daughters at the hospital for their medical checkups.

Before Mr. Nakano could leave, however, Desmon cleared his throat.

"Just so you know... The job's done, and your daughters are safe, so about that payment..."

Desmon could already taste all the sweets he'd buy with the money.

In response, Mr. Nakano calmly said. "Don't worry, I already transferred the payment to that Lady's account as soon as you confirmed my daughters' safety. I even added a bonus for your help. Don't waste it."

Placing a hand on Desmon's shoulder, Mr. Nakano turned and got into the ambulance.

Desmon stood frozen, watching as the ambulance drove away, along with what should've been his money.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a short-haired woman with jet-black hair smiled cheerfully at the substantial amount deposited into her bank account.

"Hey, Trish, dinner's on me tonight!"

What's better than free money?

Back in Japan, the young demon hunter stared up at the vast, darkening sky. That was all he could do...

"Well... At least it can't get any worse..."

With nothing else to do, he decided to head back to Kyoto.

But as if cursed by those very words, a hand landed firmly on his shoulder.

"Would you mind joining us? We have a lot to discuss, and one of the girls mentioned you knew what happened." Said one of the officers while another waited by the car door, holding it open.

When the police arrived, they approached the girls to ask about the incident, but Nino simply said that the white-haired guy knew everything and, if possible, they should arrest him for being an exhibitionist.

Isn't Nino just a sweetheart?

"I don't know anything about the explosion. It was probably caused by a gas leak, and maybe some idiot threw a lighter that triggered the first blast… Oh..." He trailed off at the end of his sentence.

Desmon knew exactly who the idiot was that started the fire.

"I see... Why don't we discuss this further at the station?" The last words Desmon said were all the police officer needed to hear.

The cheerful cop, wearing a broad grin, slapped cuffs on Desmon.

"Huh!?"

Before he knew it, he was already in the car, heading toward the station.

-I guess I shouldn't have done that...

Something very hilarious, but it's just another day in the life of the young demon hunter.